Don't Go Crazy this Holiday Season
Thanksgiving leftovers are demolished, and Black Friday has come and gone…which means we are officially in the midst of Holiday Season! Although some of us thrive in the lofty expectations of holiday blitz, more than 60% of Americans experience much stress around the holidays. On top of our existing hectic schedules, adding gift shopping, holiday parties, excess traffic, in-laws in town etc., there’s no wonder we tend to go off the deep end. So, we thought we’d share 11 tips to stay (semi-) sane this holiday season (just in case!).
Play music. Music can ease the worst of pains by relieving stress and providing a sense of pleasure. Stream your favorite holiday jingles or any choice of music to relieve the tension and bring on the cheer!
Get moving. Cold weather and good treats beg for extra sofa time. But in between your sofa bouts, moving your body and getting your heart rate up can stimulate feel-good endorphins helping to manage moods. And it can help keep off (or down) holiday lbs. Win, win.
Breathe deep. The power of a pause and deep breath are profound. Meditation is all the buzz these days and for good reason. Research shows it can help reduce stress. As little as 5 mins can bring measurable brain benefits, yet the more the better. A few emergency deep breaths in the “thick of it” can do wonders as well.
Get your hug on. Hugs serve as more than a greeting or signs of affection, their stress relievers too! Touch from a loved-one can boost oxytocin (the “love hormone”), calm stress hormones, and provide a natural high. Great excuse to get a little closer this season.
LOL. Who doesn’t love a gut-wrenching laugh? Probably because it helps relieve stress by decrease stress hormones and increasing the feel-good neurotransmitters. Laughing when you don’t necessarily feel like it can help too!
Get outside. Nature calls. No, not that nature. Being surrounded by trees, flower gardens, plants etc. can decrease cortisol levels and provide a sense of joy. Great excuse to get out of the house.
Stay focused. With our looong holiday to-do list, it may be tempting to multi-task, but you may want to reconsider. Neuroscientists say we don’t really “multi-tasking” (doing more than one thing at once), we’re actually “task-switching” or rapidly moving our brains’ focus from one task to another. It may sound like a fun game, but it’s very stressful and taxing for the brain. Science reports that focusing on one thing at a time actually gets the job done better, faster and with less stress.
